Folly Beach is known for its gnarly swells and laid-back feel, it's the perfect place to chill in the summer. Having Charleston just nine miles down the road is an added bonus.
My family rented a large, six-bedroom oceanfront house with a pool, porch and roof-top deck. My sister from California wisely chose to rent her own house two doors down the beach to escape the inevitable chaos that comes when you put four families under one roof. Mealtime was a madhouse, but we managed to get everyone fed night after night.
On a typical day, the early risers in the bunch would set off just after dawn for a long walk on the beach. By mid-morning, a jumble of umbrellas and chairs had been assembled at water's edge. It didn't takes us long to wise up to the fast-moving tide and set up camp closer to the sand dunes to avoid having to move our beach paraphernalia every hour.
The day after we arrived at the beach, my nephew rented a board from McKevlin's Surf Shop to take a crack at Folly's much-celebrated breakers. Unlike his aunt who tried unsuccessfully to surf last summer on Folly, he was ripping it up in no time.
Rather than embarrass myself two years in a row, I rode the waves on a body board - every bit as fun and so much easier. Tossing around the Frisbee was another favorite beach activity.
Several of us brought bikes and rode from one end of the island to the other. We also took our bikes to Charleston and peddled all over the Historic District and across the Ravenel Bridge.
In the evenings after dinner, we'd play dominoes, shoot pool or sit out on the porch and enjoy the cool sea breezes. Or we'd crank up the stereo and dance to Earth, Wind and Fire, The Jackson Five and Tina Turner. I am happy to report I finally learned how to do the Electric Slide.
On our last full day at the beach, we drove to Charleston and walked from White Point Gardens near the Battery through the historic neighborhoods South of Broad to Waterfront Park. As many times as I've visited Charleston, I always discover something new. This time it was Philadelphia Alley, a narrow brick-lined passage off Queen Street between Church and State.
